Page 52 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

“Hey man… what the heck!”

“Acton, skates, dude!Skates!”

“Owww ya’ big lummox! What’d you do that for?”

Kenneth didn’t care. He was already standing over Jett, hands fisted at his sides, face flushed. His pulse beat a war drum rhythm in his ears.

“No one wants to see you flexing and showing off your abs—we’re in the middle of a game!” Kenneth snapped, his voice sharper than he intended. But the emotion behind it burned too hot. “You wanna show her something? Show her you’ve got skills on the ice as well as the bedroom…”

“If only,” Jett muttered, low but not low enough.

Kenneth’s brows pulled together. The words felt heavier than they should’ve—weighted with something… off. He turned to look at the man sprawled on the bench, expecting sarcasm but finding something else entirely. Jett, as if he knew he revealed a weakness, leaped to his feet with a ferocity that was shocking – and went on the defensive.

“Don’t you say a word!” Jett hissed, shoving a finger into Kenneth’s chest hard enough to make him take a step back. “It’s my business andnun-ya!”

“Nun-ya?”

“None of yours!” Jett snarled, his tone cracking just slightly at the edge.

And that’s when Kenneth really looked at him. Not the loudmouth, not the jokester, not the cocky showman everyone thought they knew. But theman. His jaw was clenched tight, eyes shadowed and glassy, lips pressed into a fine line. Kenneth had seen men under pressure before—battlefields of a different kind—but this? This looked like a man unraveling behind the armor, and he saw it.

“Are you okay?” he asked, softer this time, the heat in his voice replaced by something closer to concern. “If you need to?—”

“Are we gonna cuddle and hug now?” Jett shot back, venomous and mocking, making kissy noises as he leaned in. Kenneth recoiled instantly, repulsed—not by the man, but by the clear act of deflection. Defense. Denial.

“Don’t worry about me,” Jett went on, laughing without humor, “and let’s get out there before I have to deal withfrustration,shame,andregret.”

Regret?

The word cracked through Kenneth like lightning.

Jett Acton regretted coming to the Wolverines?Kenneth thought, stunned, and then his mouth dropped open with shock and with understanding, just as something in the other man’s face broke. For a heartbeat, Jett looked unhinged. There was a flicker behind his eyes—like a mirror shattering, fast and final. The man wasbreaking, and he was begging with everything he had left tonot be seen. He jabbed two fingers into Kenneth’s face, his voice barely holding steady.

“Back off! Quit asking! All I want from you is TWO GOALS… got it?”

Kenneth hesitated, the silence thick between them. His chest was tight. He didn’t know what the story was—and maybe he didn’t need to. This wasn’t about the team or the players, and Kenneth knew pain when he saw it. Deep, emotional, private pain - and right now, Jett wasdrowningin it.

“Then let’s go,” Kenneth said, his voice firm again, matching the other man’s intensity. “I’ve got you—on the ice and off.”

Jett didn’t say thank you. He didn’t need to.

“Good,” Jett snapped, then turned and started bellowing to the guys still on the ice, waving his arms like a madman. “Get over here! I’m ready! Move, move, move, and let’s goooo!”

Kenneth shook his head, lips curving faintly. “Yup. Let’s show them how it’s done…”

“Boooo-yah…”

They bumped gloves with a fierce, almost angry kind of energy and thenexplodedonto the ice. The air changed. The noise of the crowd swelled behind them, rising in a wave as Jett raised his arms high, feeding the frenzy like a lightning rod drawing storm after storm. The man thrived on attention and knew exactly how to work the crowd.

Kenneth skated to position, the world narrowing down to the cold, the puck, and his teammate. Say what you would about Jett Acton—he burned hot, reckless, and wild—but heshowed up. Every time. He gave 110 percent and demanded the same from everyone around him.

Boucher gave quiet tips under his breath to keep from undercutting Savage, their captain and anchor, but Jett? Jett shoved them with everything he had. Goaded, dared,andforcedthem to be better.

And it worked.They worked.

Kenneth flicked the puck across the ice, slicing through defenders. Jett snatched it like it was drawn to him, gliding effortlessly before slapping it past the goalie’s legs with a clean,vicioussnap.

The crowd erupted.

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